Control system



April 27, 1943. w. A. RAY

CONTROL SYSTEM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 27, 1941 \m A. I. L/A \m hum IV/AZ/AM 4. 1913 April 27, 1943. w, Y 2,317,640

CONTROL SYSTEM ,Filed Jan. 27, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 27, 1943.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2Claims.

My present invention relates to fluid pressure operated motors of the type wherein a partition or wall is moved by variation of the fluid pressure applied thereto, the movement of the wall being transmitted to a device to be operated such as the closure member of a fluid control valve.

A general object of my invention is to providemeans for controlling the operation of such a motor, the present invention being an improvement on that disclosed in my U. S. Patent No. 2,046,882, issued July '7, 1936.

Another object is to provide means for positioning the movable element of, a fluid pressure operated motor in accordance with variation in a controlling condition such as temperature, pressure, liquid level, or the like, which variation in condition'may be the result of the operation of the motor in its control of means such as a fluid control valve, damper, or electrical rheo- 'stat.

Another object is to provide valve means for controlling the pressure of the fluid in the motor, and means responsive to the operation of the motor for modifying the actuation of the controlling valve means.

Another object is to provide means connected to the movablewall of the motor for actuating the pressure controlling valve means in a direction opposite to that in whichthe valve means is actuated by means responsive to a controlling condition so that movement of the wall is inter: mittently arrested.

Another object is to provide positioning means of the character described in the preceding ob- I. jects which is effective throughout thefull range of movement of the motor wall whereby the wall is maintained in any of a plurality of positions in accordance with themagnitude of a ling condition.

Another object is to provide positioning means of the type set forth in the previous object whereby tendency of the motor to hunt or deviate from a predetermined position is prevented.

Another object is to provide means readily adjustable to limit the extent of movement of the motor wall regardless of the magnitude of the controlling condition.

Another object is to provide a novel threeway valve structure wherein the closure means has an intermediate moved position wherein no fluid flow is permitted. l

Other objects and advantages 'of my invention will be found in the description, the drawings and the appended claims.

For complete understanding of the invention,

controlreference may be had to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings wherein: v

Figure 1 is a side elevation (partly in section) of a fluid pressure operated fluid-control valve embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the valve shown in Fig. 1;"

Figures 3 and 4 are similar sectional views, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, of. valve means for controlling the operation of the main valve shown in Fig. 1, the parts being shown in the figures in positions assumed in operation;

Figure 5 is amain section taken along the ir-' Figure 10a is an enlarged view of the three- I way pilot valve shown at I50 in Figs. 10-12; and

Figures 13, 14 and 15 are diagrammatic views of a still further modified control system.

Referring first to Figs. 1-5, the numeral 20 indicates a main valve casing having an inlet 2| and an outlet 22 separated by a partition 23 provided with a valve port 24, cooperable with which is a closure member generally indicated at 25. As best seen in Fig. 5, the closure member is connected to an operating stem 26, the upper end of which is secured to a flexible diaphragm 21, the marginal portion of which is interposed between the adjoining flanges of a pair of dished plates 28 and 29 to form an upper and a lower pressure chamber 30 and 3|, respectively. A

'pair of stifienlng plates 32 and 33 are provided on the stem on opposite sides of the diaphragm, and the lower end of the stem is connected to the closure member by a lost-motion ball and socket device 34. Inter'posed between the valve casing and the housing formed by plates '28-and 29 is a generally cup-shaped spacing member 35 having in its bottom wall a central opening wherein the stem 26 is reciprocable. Also in the bottom wall of member 35 is an opening-36 which provides fluidcommunication between the inlet.

42 which is pivoted at one end on a link 43 mounted on a strap 48 attached to the member 81 and to the flanges of plates 28 and 29. The free end of arm 82 is downwardly biased by a weight 45, adjustably mounted thereon.

Also secured to the stem 26 below the diaphragm plate 83, is a short arm 88 which is pivg I 2,317,040 which-provides guiding support for a rod 88 sure portion 1a; Within the tubular member is isa-second rod 8| which carries on its lefthand end a semi-spherical closure member 82 which cooperates with a seat provided by the leithand end of member 18, the closure member 82 being urged to closed position by a spring 88-com- Pressed between the nut 18 and a collar 84 adiustably secured to red 8|, the force exerted by spring 88 being appreciably greater than that of spring 88. Fittings 85 and 88 provide means for conveying fluid controlled by the closure membars 18 and 82, fitting 88 being connected to a pipe 8|, which in turn is connected to a fitting 82 which provides communication with the upper diaphragm chamber 88; and fitting 88 being connected by a pipe 88 to the -'l'-fltting 89, from which vent pipe 88 leads to the atmosphere or to -a furnace chamber.

otally connected to one end of a link 5| the other end of the link bein pivoted on an oil-set arm 52 secured to a rod 53 which is ioumaled in an 7 extension 58 of the member 85. Secured to the .outer surface 01' the extension 84 is a control valve housing 55, through an. opening in the adjoining wall of which the rod 53 extends, the rod being grooved at 58 to provide fluid communication between the main valve inlet 2| and the interior or housing 85. The open outer end of housing 85 is closed by a cover plate 51. Extending from the right-hand end (as seen in Figs. 1-4) of the housing 55 and integral therewith is a bracket 58, on the outer end of which is mounted a pressure operated device generally indicated at and comprisinga, cup-shaped. housing 88, to the inner wall oi! which is sealingly secured the open end of an expansible-contractible metallic bellows 8]. To the closed end wall of the bellows, is secured an operating stem 82. The .housing 88 is provided with a fitting 88 by means of which fluid under pressure may besupplied to the space between the bellows and the homing to move the stem. Threaded in an intermediate portion 84 of the bracket 88 isan elongated hollow screw 68 which carries an adjusting nut 88. between which nut and the head of stem 82 a spring 81 is compressed. To facilitate adiustment of this nut against the tension 0! spring 81, a ball-bearing thrust plate 88 is provided between the spring and the nut.

Guided in the bore of screw 85 is a first rod 88, the right-hand end oi. which is in engagement with the stem 82, a-depression formed toprevent leakage or fluid around the rod. The

right-hand end of screw 85 provides a stop limiting'movement in a left-hand direction otstem 82, a nut 12 serving to lock the screw in adjusted position.

Threaded in an opening in the'leit-hand end wall of housing 85 is a hollow member 18, and threaded in the right-hand end of the boreor thismemberis a bushing" wherein'a tubular a member 15 is slidable. This member has a conical left-hand end portion 18 which cooperates with a valve seat 11 formed in the member 18. Leakage'oi fluid around the tubular member 15 is prevented by a packing washer 18 which is compressed .aroundthe member by a nut 18. Member 18 is urged in a left-hand-direction by a relatively light spring-'- 88 compressed between bushing 18 and the shoulder of the conical 1 Interposed between the rods 88 and 8| is a member 81 which is provided on its opposite sides with conical depressions for receiving the ends' of these rods. Pivoted on the arm 88 01 member 81 is a link 88 which in turn is pivoted on another arm 98 secured to the end of rod 83. when rod 88 is rotated by movement of diaphragm stem 28, the positions of the ends of rods 88 and 8| in the corresponding recessw of member 81 are changed, thereby varying the eflective combined length of rods 88 and 8|. a In Fig. '6 I have shown the valve 99, herein before described and illustrated in Figs. 1-5, connected to supply fuelto a gas burner I88 i'or heating.a steam boiler IN. the arm 42 of the valve being connected to a hinged door I82 which is adapted to control supply of secondary air to the burner. For the actuation of the pressure operated device 58, a pipe I88 is provided which connects this device with the steam space above the water inthe boiler. Connected ahead 01' valve 88 is an electrically operated solenoid valve I88 which provides complete on-and-ofl. control oi'thefuel. m

The operation of the valve shownin Figs. 1-5 will more readily be understood by consideration of the equivalent valve ditically shown in Figs. 7-9. In these figures, the numeral I85 indicates a main valve casing, to the inlet of which is connected a solenoid valve I86. When the solenoid valve is open, fluid flow through the casing is controlled by aclosure member I81 cooperating with a valve port I88 provided in a partition I88. The closure member is connected by a stem 8 to a flexible diaphragm member I movement of the diaphragm by a rod I I8 extend-,

ing within the upper pressure chamber into engagement with the diaphragm member. The lower diaphragm chamber Ill is directly connected, by a pipe II1, with the inlet 01' the main valve. Also connected to the main valve inlet. by a pipe 8', is'a chamber 8 defined by a housing I28. Adjoining this housing is another 'housing |2| which is divided internally by a common wall between housings I28 and I2|. Extending through the right-hand end wall oi housing I28 is a first rod '|28,'the outer end of which is in engagement with the stem I21 0! a pressure operated device I28 comprising a bellows secured to the diaphragm member III. .member I25 is biased in a left-hand direction by I29 secured to the open end of a cup-shaped.

which limits the movement in a left-hand -direction of the rod I26 by the stem I21. A second rod I35 extends through the hollow closuremember I 25 and is provided with a head I36 which cooperates with the left-hand end of member I25 to control fluid flow therethrough. Interposed between the adjacent ends of rods I26 and I35 is a member I31 which is provided on its opposite ends with conical depressions for receiving the ends of these rods. Arm I36 of member I31 is connected by a link I 39 to a rod I40 which extends through the walls of housings I and H2 and is Closure a spring MI and the rod I35 is biased in a righthand direction by a spring I42; the force of the latter being greater than that of spring .I4I, the closure member I is normally maintained in open position with respect to partition I22, with head I closing the passageway through the closure member I25. a

The operation of the control system shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 will now be described, it being assumed that (as in the system shown in Fig. 6)

operated device I28 is connected by pipe I3I to the space above the water in the boiler. Before the system is put into operatiomi. e., solenoid valve I06 being closed and the boiler cold, the parts will be in the positions shown in Fig. '1. The main closure member I01 is in its downmost position due to the fact that the pressures in chambers H3 and H4, above and below the diaphragm, are equal and the diaphragm is gravity biased. It will be noted that the upper diaphragm chamber H3 is now in communication with the atmosphere through pipe I43, chamber I 23, opening in .partition I22, chamber I24, and vent pipe I44. The lower diaphragm chamber H4 is also at substantially atmospheric pressure due to the escape of fluid from the casing I05, to which it is connected by pipe H1, when the solenoid valve I06 was previously closed. There being substantially no fluid pressure applied to the pressure operated device I20, rods I26 and I35, under the controlling bias of spring I42, are in such positions that communication between chambers H9 and I23 (through the interior of member I25)- is-closedby the head I36, and the opening in partition I22 between-chambers I23- and I2 4 is unobstructed. Since the diaphragm is brought to its horizontal position in which the effective combined length of rods I26 and I35 is the greatest, the closure member I25 is somewhat closer to partition I22. By the opening of the main closure member I01, fuel passes to the burner where it is, ignited by means such as a' constantly burning pilot burner. main in the positions shown in Fig. 8 until steam pressure in the boiler, due to the heat of the burner, rises to a point at which it is sufilcient to overcome the force of spring I32 of the pressure operated device I26, and the rods I26 and I35 are gradually moved in a left-hand direction. It will be understood that the member I 31 ofiers substantially no resistance to such movement on increased steam pressure, unseats the. head I36 and fluid passes from the main valve inlet through pipes Ill and H8, chamber II 9, the passageway in closure member I25, chamber I23. and pipe I to the upper diaphragm chamber II3, with the result that the pressure difference in the diaphragm chambers is reduced and the diaphragm accordingly moves downward. However, such downward movement of the diaphragm, through member I31, immediately reduces the effective'combined length of rods I26 and I35, with the result that head I36 is reseated and further downward movement of the diaphragm is arrested, the parts assuming a position such as shownin Fig. 9. If the steam pressure continues to rise, head I36 will again be momentarily opened, and then reclosed in response to diaphragm movement, so that the diaphragm assumes a still lower position. The 'main closure member I01 having been brought closer toits seat, gas flow to, the burner is reduced, a point finally being reached at which the gas flow is just suflicient to maintain the required pressure of steamin the boiler. If for some reason the steam pressure is reduced, movement of the rods I 26 and I35 in a right-hand direction occurs, with the result that closure member I25 is moved away from its engagement with the opening in partition I22, the fluid compressed in the upper diaphragm chamber es.- capes to the atmosphere, and the diaphragm is accordingly forced upward by the fluid pressure below it. However, the effective combined length of rods I26 and I35 is thus now increased and closure member I26 immediately reseats, with the result that the diaphragm is checked in a the pressure of the steam, any tendency of'the diaphragm to hunt or deviate from position being checked by the effect of member I31 on rod I35.

The adjusted position of the stop member I34 limits movement in a left-hand direction of the stem I21 of the pressure operated device and hencelimits'the movement of the'main closure member I01 toward its seat. However, it will be understood that, if the burner is capable of full modulation, i. e., will burn properly over the entire range of fuel supply from minimum to maximum, the stop member I34 may be so ad-. justed. that the main closure member can com- The parts reployed to control operation of the'main valve between open and closed p'ositions, thereby eliminating the necessity of the solenoid valve shown in Figs..7-9. The pilot valve I50 comprises a housing II defining a chamber I52, wherein is mounted an electromagnet I53 which is adapted when energized to attract the adjacent end of a pivoted armature I54, the other end of which cooperates with jets I55 and I55 to control fluid flow through pipes I51 and I58, respectively connected thereto. The armature is biased by a spring I60, normally into engagement with the jet I55. When the armature is unattracted, the

' parts of the system are in the positions shown in Fig. 10. When the electromagnet I53 'is energ'lzed, the armature is moved out of engagement with jet I55 and into engagement with jet I55, with the result that fluid can then escape from the upper diaphragm chamber II3 by a pipe I53,

chamber I52, jet I55, pipe I51, chambers I23,

and I24, and vent pipe I4 4, to the atmosphere. Fluid pressure applied to the lower diaphragm chamber II4 through pipe II1 (it being assumed that the left-hand end of the main valve casin I05 is connected @iirectly to a source of fluid fuel under pressure) forces the diaphragm upward,

. the'parts' assuming the positions shown in Fig.

11. Operation of the system in the manner described above in connection with Figs. 7-9 is .thus initiated, the main closure member I01 being positioned (as shown in Fig. 12) in accordance with the magnitude of a controlling condition, such as the pressure of steam in aboiler. The operation of the electromagnet I53 may conveniently be responsive to a condition such as steam pressure, or the temperature of a space heated bythe steam. When thesteanr pressure or the temperature reaches a predetermined maximum,

the electromagnet is deenergfied, with the result that the armature returns tgghe position shown in Fig. 3 closing jet I55, whereupon fluid can pass from the inlet of the main valve through pipes H1 and I58, jet I55, chamberl52, and pipe I50 to the upper diaphragm chamber I I3, thus equalthree-way pilot valve, generally indicated at I50 and shown on enlarged scale in Fig. a,' is emchamber I I3 to the atmosphere through pipe I51, chamber I23, and pipe I12, which pipe has a restricted orifice I13 therein; the parts assuming the positions shown in Fig. 14. When, due to rise in steam pressure, closure member I10 is opened by the movement of rods 226 and 235, fluid from the inlet of the main valve casing flows into chamber I23 until its rate of fiow (due to continued opening movement ofclosure member I10) exceeds that at which it can escape through the restriction I13 in the vent pipe, with the result that fluid pressure in chamber H3 is increased and the diaphragm moves downward.

The result 'is that closure member I10 partially closes until its position is such that continuous flow into chamber I23 from the main valve inlet is equal to that through the vent pipe. and the diaphragm remains in a lowered position, the parts assuming the positions shown in Fig. 15. Upon decrease or steam pressure, the closure member I10 momentarily assumes a still more closed position and the resultant upward movement of the diaphragm is again checked when the incoming flow of fluid is equal to the bleed.

By way of illustration, the systems of my invention have been described in connection with the control of a gas-heated steam boiler, the positioning valve means being actuated in accordance with the pressure of the steam. However, it is obvious that my invention is applicable to the control of other apparatus, particularly such as employs fluid fuel, gaseous or liquid. The pressure operated device for the positioning valve means could be arrangedto be.

operated in responseto change in other conditions, such as temperature, fluid level or the'like.

Furthermore, means other than the fluid presizing the pressures above and below the diaphragm, the main closure member accordingly returning to its fullyclosed position.

In the still further modified system shown in Figs. 13,14 and 15, adifferent form of valve means for controlling the position of the diaphragm is disclosed. In place of the floating three-way" valve shown in the other systems, a 'rod 235 (corresponding to rod I35 in the systems of Figs. 7-9 and 10-12) carries a closure member I10 which cooperates with an opening in a partition I1I separating the chambers I23 and I24. In this modification, 'the latter chamber communicates directly with chamber I I'5, and chamber I23 (instead of chamber I24) is vented to the atmosphere by a pipe I12. When the system is in inoperative condition and the boiler cold. the closure member I10'is seated, rod 220 (corresponding to rod I25 of; the other systems). being out -of engagement with plunger I21 of the pressure operated device. When the pilot valve I50 is energized, fluid escapes from the upper diaphragm sure operated device shown could as well be employed for actuating the positioning valve means, such as, for example, bimetallic or expansionrod means, or ,an electrically-energized heat motor.

I wish it to be understood that still further modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and that I intend therefore to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

'1. In a fluid pressure operated control system means defining a pressure chamber including a wall movable between limiting positions in response to change of fluid pressure in said chamber, condition changing means operated in response to the movement of said wall, first valve means for so controlling the pressure of said fluid thatsaid wall'is moved completely from.

one of said limiting positions to the other, additional valve means for varying the pressure of said fluid to'mo've said wall, means responsive limiting positions, said last-named means being ineffective to limit the movement of the wall. under the control of said first valve means.

2. In a fluid pressure operated control system: means defining a pressure chamberincluding a wall movable-between limiting positions in response to change of fluid pressure in said chamher, condition changing means operated in response. to the movement of said wall, first valve meansior so controllingthe pressure of said fluid that saidwall is moved completely from one of said limiting positions to the other, additional valve means for varying the pressure of said fluid to move said wall, means responsive to change in said condition for operating said ad-.

ditional valve means, means operated by the ,movement of said wall for modifying the efiect of said last-named means, and means directly limiting the operation of said additional valve means by said condition responsive means so that said wall is moved by the operation of the additional valve means only partially toward one 'of said limiting .positions, said last-named means being inefiective to limit the movement of the wall under the control of said first valve means.

- WILLIAM A. RAY. 

